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katie0528's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I liked the romance between Kai and Isabella more than than the first book. Their relationship progression felt more natural, from flirting at the bar, to messing around, to full fledged romance. As tight-laced Kai battles to become CEO of his family's company and Isabella struggles with her own self-doubt and lack of direction, they find that opposites do, in fact, attract.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Blackmailkarlapardo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book! Definitely my favorite one out of the series. The characters, the story line, the plot, the spice, the relationship, the cameos from characters from other books!. Kai Young........ the man you are *cheff's kiss*. This man can do no wrong in my eyes and I am okay with that. Was he a little selfish by starting a relationship with Isa even though he knew she could lose her job? Yes. BUT that's the trope. The trope is literally forbidden love, if they weren't going to be a little selfish and get together no matter if she would lose her job or not then the story wouldn't have made sense. Kai is such a hidden golden retriever character and I love that. Also! He has a dirty mouth and I love that. Something else that I loved seeing is the fact that Kai knew he was head over heels in love with Isa and he did her no wrong (other than the job thing) and that is not a common thing so I think that gave the book a little bit more of an unique story line. His character evolution is also perfect. He went from being a control freak to letting his guard down and to some point relinquish his control when Isa was around because there was just no way he could be in control with her crazy personality. Isabella, I freaking love her. She is such a bubbly, energetic, strong FMC that I just loved her instantly. She is a character that you can easily resonate with. She goes through life without a clear direction but she also surprises herself with her capabilities and I think that's why she is such a relatable character. I think that both Kai and Isa were a breath of fresh air when it comes to Ana Huang characters. Their relationship was beautiful. The way they were able to be there for each other, support each other, uplift each other, break down each others walls, and have fun at the same time was fantastic. I need to mention the spice of this book was perfection. The library scene with the feather, the bar scene, the piano scene just *swoon in a hot way.* I truly do think this is the best one out of the series and I would read it again and again without any complain.
Memorable Quotes
Memorable Quotes
- “I never really lived before you … And I don’t want to imagine living after you.” I dropped my forehead to hers, my chest aching with need and want and a thousand other emotions only she could make me feel. “Stay with me, love. Please.”
- “How does he look at me?”
“Like he never wants to look away.” - “I’d never fallen in love before her. Once I did, I did it the way I did everything else. Completely. Totally. Irrevocably.”
- “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Smart. Strong. Beautiful. Imperfect by your own standards but so wonderfully perfect for me.”
- “She’d touched down in my life like a tornado, gotten my drink wrong during her first shift at Valhalla, and hadn’t left my thoughts since.”
- “Come on. Live a little, Young. I promise it won’t kill you.” “No, but you might,” he muttered.”
- “You have five minutes, sweetheart, or you’ll find out firsthand that I’m not always the gentleman you think I am.”
- “Kai was the epitome of aristocratic sophistication, and he’d nailed the British stoicism that went with it.”
- “Just like that, sweetheart. "
- “I can’t recommend any of the books I read to you. They’re too wild. You might go into cardiac shock.”
- “Kai Young, do you have a crush on me?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gun violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Minor: Toxic relationship, Cancer, and Violence
bookfulthoughts's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Super cute, paasionate, and full of love 🩵
“Just knowing you existed somewhere in this world was enough.”
I loved Kai and Isabella! I felt their love was so genuine and beautiful. I like that the forbidden aspect of their relationship leads to them having a genuine dating experience. We got to see them fall for one another in the most realistic way possible. Their chemistry 😮💨! I loved that Kai stood up for Isabella! He is such a man for that 🥹. I’ve read other popular books (I won’t name names… iykyk) that the ML fumbles/hurts the FL because the family opposes or thinks differently! It’s such a pet peeve for me when that happens because usually it's never followed up by proper character development. We all need a Kai in our lives 🩵. In the beginning, I did not think that I was going to love him as much as I did. He knows what he wants, knows how to actively listen, is a man of honor, cherishes and respects women, and loves hard!
I loved Isabella’s character and I could relate to her in a lot of ways. I loved that she was unashamedly herself and didn’t change for anyone. Her struggles were real and her determination was admirable. I’m happy that things worked out for her even if it seemed hopeless up until the very end. I loved that…
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Violence, Grief, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
meriss's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Isabella is without a doubt a very relatable character in the sense that she struggles with herself the most, her goals and self-worth. Seeing Kai push her to be the best version of herself was admirable. Isa taking Kai out of his comfort zone was also so entertaining. What was great about this book was seeing how the two helped each other grow in ways no one else could.
And the cameos... THE CAMEOS!! Dominic and Alessandra's were so intriguing; Sloane and Xavier's however... yeah it just doesn't get better than that.
And the cameos... THE CAMEOS!! Dominic and Alessandra's were so intriguing; Sloane and Xavier's however... yeah it just doesn't get better than that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Minor: Toxic relationship
thatokiebird's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
King of Pride is the second book in this loose series that can be read as standalones or in order. This is not my normal type of book I tend to read, but my partner surprised me with this book from the bookstore after I said I was craving a romance novel. This is technically a romance novel, but is so much darker and not at all fluffy than the kind of romance I’m typically drawn to.
I liked this one less than the first book in the series. Kai and Isabella, while on the surface seem like more interesting characters than Dante and Vivian, but they're just not written as well. The writing is okay, still very clunky during descriptive scenes or when the characters engaged in small talk which happens a lot more in this one. It was a lot less steamy than the first too, like the author was told to tone it down or something?
I will probably not be reading the rest of the series, unless I check them out from the library or something, and looking for a more fluffy romance instead.
I liked this one less than the first book in the series. Kai and Isabella, while on the surface seem like more interesting characters than Dante and Vivian, but they're just not written as well. The writing is okay, still very clunky during descriptive scenes or when the characters engaged in small talk which happens a lot more in this one. It was a lot less steamy than the first too, like the author was told to tone it down or something?
I will probably not be reading the rest of the series, unless I check them out from the library or something, and looking for a more fluffy romance instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
amre23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A .25 star comes off for Ch 37. UGH. It got better though and I got over it, the situation was redeemed but at the time I was annoyed.
This was a good next installment in the Kings of Sin series. I enjoyed the opposites of these two very much. Their relationship for the most part was easy going, had a nice flow, and sweet development.
This was a good next installment in the Kings of Sin series. I enjoyed the opposites of these two very much. Their relationship for the most part was easy going, had a nice flow, and sweet development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent and Stalking
rickireadss's review against another edition
4.0
i had a good time with this one, though not has great as i was expecting. it was slow at times & it really wasn’t until about the 50% mark that it picked up and i was truly invested. the ending, like the last 10%, felt very rushed — it was like all the conflict & outside info was left until the end & i didn’t like that. i LOVE khai&isabella, but dante&vivian still hold the number 1 spot in my heart.
⚠️: gun violence, death of parent, alcohol, misogyny, infidelity, classism, car accident, cancer, toxic relationship
⚠️: gun violence, death of parent, alcohol, misogyny, infidelity, classism, car accident, cancer, toxic relationship
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Misogyny
Minor: Classism, Cancer, Car accident, and Toxic relationship
ka_ke's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Grief, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, and Gun violence
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Rating: 5/5 stars
Isabella and Kai couldn’t be more different…but maybe opposites attract?
Kai Parker took me COMPLETELY by surprise as a book boyfriend but let me just say that I LOVED him. From the very beginning this book had me giggling and smirking and blushing and I devoured it start to finish.
I also really felt like this one played into its title and the theme of “pride” in super interesting ways, and I really appreciated Ana leaning in to the kings of sin dynamic that way!
Honestly, 2023 has just been my Ana Huang year and I am here for it. This is your sign to go and read this one if you’ve been putting it off!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: opposites attract; British accents; a little bit of corporate espionage
CW: Gun violence; infidelity; toxic relationship
Isabella and Kai couldn’t be more different…but maybe opposites attract?
Kai Parker took me COMPLETELY by surprise as a book boyfriend but let me just say that I LOVED him. From the very beginning this book had me giggling and smirking and blushing and I devoured it start to finish.
I also really felt like this one played into its title and the theme of “pride” in super interesting ways, and I really appreciated Ana leaning in to the kings of sin dynamic that way!
Honestly, 2023 has just been my Ana Huang year and I am here for it. This is your sign to go and read this one if you’ve been putting it off!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: opposites attract; British accents; a little bit of corporate espionage
CW: Gun violence; infidelity; toxic relationship
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gun violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Blood and Death of parent
plumpaperbacks's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
[second read, November-December 2023]
I’ve now read the whole Twisted series and all of the Kings books thus far, and so I can confirm: Isa and Kai are Ana’s best couple. They’re my favorites, they’re my babies, they’re the couple to beat.But honestly, good luck with that.
I’m manifesting their wedding in King of Sloth SO HARD. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
[first read, July-August 2023]
I’ve been shipping these two since their very first interaction in King of Wrath—my ship senses were tingling, the gears in my brain spinning—so this was absolutely delightful, from start to finish. If not for my reading slump, I would’ve easily devoured it in a matter of hours. It might be only my second Ana Huang book, but as far as I’m concerned, Isa and Kai are her best couple, no contest. 💜
Updated theories for the rest of the series include Sloth being Sloane’s book (she’s totally gonna fall in love with Xavier) and Envy being Christian’s. Not sure about either Gluttony or Lust.
Current ranking of the series:
I’ve now read the whole Twisted series and all of the Kings books thus far, and so I can confirm: Isa and Kai are Ana’s best couple. They’re my favorites, they’re my babies, they’re the couple to beat.
I’m manifesting their wedding in King of Sloth SO HARD. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
[first read, July-August 2023]
I’ve been shipping these two since their very first interaction in King of Wrath—my ship senses were tingling, the gears in my brain spinning—so this was absolutely delightful, from start to finish. If not for my reading slump, I would’ve easily devoured it in a matter of hours. It might be only my second Ana Huang book, but as far as I’m concerned, Isa and Kai are her best couple, no contest. 💜
Updated theories for the rest of the series include Sloth being Sloane’s book (she’s totally gonna fall in love with Xavier) and Envy being Christian’s. Not sure about either Gluttony or Lust.
Current ranking of the series:
- King of Pride (by a LOT)
- King of Wrath (go to hell Dante)
Representation:
- Filipina-Chinese protagonist
- Chinese protagonist & side characters
- Brazilian side character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Death of parent, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Contains multiple scenes of explicit, consensual sexual content. Everything else is mentioned in passing, to some degree or another—the loss of a parent in a car accident, a toxic relationship ended by infidelity, a non-fatal scene involving gun violence, and a (false alarm) cancer scare. All except the last occurred prior to the story. Present day also contains a blackmail scheme.